How long have you been working on your cars, before driveing them for the year
My 88 cougar has been off the road for almost 2 years and very slowly working on it as money lets me
Take you time cause when your done you’ll be looking to do it again or get another project boredom will set in.
My red bird has been off the road for about 2 years now.
My Bird has been off the road for nearly 5 yrs. Very slow going at first because of no garage for the 1st 3 yrs and the area that I live in doesn't promote leaving the car looking like it's being worked on. But now with the garage and the ability to leave the car apart, it's still been slow (wife in nursing school and home remodeling), but it's been progressing steadily.
John
Not nearly enough, and it shows by the fact that the 'Bird is in a million pieces with about 100 small projects (and a few big ones) that haven't gone anywhere...
Modifying a TC is a lot like owning a boat or plane. Spend 3 hours wrenching for every one hour of enjoyment, even if nothing breaks!
not just TC's everytime ive fixed one thing over the last month and a half ive broke two(litterailly).
And its my DD so down time isn't an option..... but it happens
my car hasnt been of the road much. when i got it, t didnt run, but within a month or two i had it on the road. then i hit a deer and i had to replace the entire front end (besides the bumper cover and right front fender) and that kept it off the road for about 2 or 3 months. but usually things break one at a time, and when they break it's driveable and i have it fixed in a weekend. like the sway bar link broke, had it fixed by sunday. a ujoint went bad, had 2 swapped in by sunday. i've had the thing on the road basically when it really shouldnt have been. but its never really seen real downtime in over in the 5 years i have owned it. but i guess if i was working on the engine/drivetrain i couldnt drive it around...
I have had my 85 TC off the road since Nov 2005, and it is currently in a million pieces. It is coming together though, hopefully by June of this year. I am just finishing up my suspension.
chri85tc that thing is BEAUTIFUL, what a sharp looking car. When my dad bought his black one, he drove it as a dd for 3 years, nothing but tune ups, and oil changes, drove it to maryland where he drove it for 1 year, till the sending unit ed out. The silver one he has now, is another story, its had a trans-plant from the black one, and a motor swap from a white one he bought for parts. Now the motor needs to come out because of a oil leak, and its awfully slow,not as near fast as the black one was. Who knows
Thanks DaBoss351, just before I blew the motor I placed 3rd (Slightly Modified Thunderbird Class) in the Carlisle 2005 Ford Nationals.
well i quess haveing my car in about 1/2 a million peices is not so bad. But it is taking it's toll, With my wife haveing caner and going through all of that it has just sat for so long and not even touched it. Hope it still starts come spring.
I am collecting up all the parts anyway, as slow at it is in doing so. New exhaust ler, cat etx. Stll have body work to do as well. Like the dreaded rockers.
Sure wish come one would make a set to fit our cars.
But i do love the way our cars drive and feel. so comfy on the highways
Not enough time. every time I get the bug to work on it. The weather says no, or the wallet says no.
This summer it has to be worked cuz it will be the dd for about a month while the truck is down. (long Sucky story)
Just wish I knew how to fab and had the right tools for every job that could possibly come up.
Well the silver one was off the road for over 2 years before I got it back on the road last summer. It was off the road again by the end of the fall with a dead hole. It will be back come spring/summer.
The white '80 sat for 2 years before I even started working on it this fall.
I have no current plans to work on the bronze '84. At least not right away.
that silver one is gorgeous chuck, i love those rims, and they look nasty on your bird
My 87 "daily driver" has been off the road for a year and 3 months and counting. I'm waiting for some decent weather (Sunshine and low 60's or above) before I start piecing it back together. I could do it in a weekend if I really work at it.
I just haven't had a real break in the weather to coinside with my motivation since Nov when I did my intake, heater core and H-pipe swap on the 86.
Plus, I enjoy driving the 86 so much that getting the 87 back on the road hasn't been that much of an issue! My daughter is 15 and she wants the 87 back on the road... maybe that's why I'm dragging my feet so much on that one;)
So your like my dad, im almost 16 (april 7th) and since the age of 4 i told him the stangs my first car, end of story, but hes been dragging his feet, he doesn't want to bring it to me. man thats a nice looking 87 though, must be nice to live in tx no salt.
Yes... the thought of turning over my 87 to a teenager makes my skin crawl since I've been working on that car since 2000. Over the last year I've been trying to get used to the idea. That was my baby until I got the 86. I can definitely relate to what your dad must be going through, heheh...
About the time my daughter finishes with the car my son will be getting his lisence. If it survives both of them I'll get it back.
And it is nice to have rust free cars! The 87 is actually a Washington car. I used to live near Seattle. They dont use salt there either. There's alot of rust free Birds in WA as some others on this board can attest.
my stang is a rhode island car, its had floor pans, and alot of new panels, but after it was repaired, it was garaged. I want it NOW, so i can pull it apart, and rust proof the underside, and all the panels i can, get it painted and on the road. Ive been working on the car beside him all my life he got it the year i was born, and its been pieced together ever since. Hell the rebuilt 351w has only about 6k on it and its been in the car for about 13 years. I have big plans for that car, and im never giving it back. 410w, afr heads, major small block N/A power, coil over front and rear conversion, and huge ass brakes are just the start. Its gonna be a street/strip toy, and my dd until i find myself another toy, such as a ranger for my poor t/c's motor, or another t/c.